Zhang Dabiao's saber strike was imbued with all his strength. As it swept across the Liuyao Yangxuan formation, it stirred a ripple, promising to sever the female ghost's head.
*Bang—*
*Clang—*
"No way? How is this possible?"
The mountain-splitting saber had indeed landed on the female ghost's neck. However, the result was not as imagined, with no ghost head flying off or ghost blood gushing out. Instead, it sank in by a finger's depth and then refused to penetrate any further.
No matter how hard Zhang Dabiao strained, he couldn't push it in even a fraction. The female ghost gripped Zhang Dabiao's wrist with both hands, her face contorted with ferocity.
"Dream on if you want to kill me."
The female ghost pulled back with her hands, disregarding the wound on her neck. Her neck suddenly stretched out half a meter like a snake, her gaping maw lunging for Zhang Dabiao's throat.
Seeing this, Zhang Dabiao quickly tried to withdraw his saber, but his wrist was held fast by the female ghost, making it impossible to break free. With no other option, he lifted his feet off the ground and kicked hard at the female ghost's chest, narrowly dodging her grasp.
Without the mountain-splitting saber, Zhang Dabiao's expression remained unchanged. He reached for his back and took out a Zancinxin nail, a nail that was already blackish-red. Under the illumination of the Liuyao Yangxuan formation, it emitted a faint crimson glow.
The female ghost shook her neck, unconcerned that her hands holding the mountain-splitting saber were now smoking from the heat. She glanced at the saber in her hand, then casually tossed it several hundred meters away.
"Is that all you've got?" The female ghost's face was filled with mockery as boundless ghost energy erupted from her body, obscuring the already hazy moonlight and turning it into a sickly glow.
Fortunately, the Liuyao Yangxuan formation still emitted a faint light. Otherwise, without any illumination, both I and Zhang Dabiao would have been even more disadvantaged.
"Brother Zhang, let's finish this quickly."
My words were spoken rapidly and urgently. At the same time, I made a decision in my heart: if we could escape this danger, I would find a way to improve my Xuanyang Zhenqi. Otherwise, at critical moments, my Xuanyang Zhenqi would be insufficient, leaving me dancing on the edge of a knife.
Zhang Dabiao naturally understood what I meant. He replied with a simple "Got it," and then charged at the female ghost again.
He exerted force with his feet, his figure instantly appearing beside the female ghost, the Zancinxin nail in his hand aimed directly at her brow.
*Bang—*
No matter how fast Zhang Dabiao moved, the female ghost was always a hair's breadth faster, deflecting every one of Zhang Dabiao's attacks. At the same time, a sinister smile played on her lips, revealing a cat-and-mouse demeanor as she said, "Is this all you can do? You can't deal with me. If this is all the ability you have, then I shall send you to hell."
As soon as the female ghost finished speaking, she transformed her palms into claws and lunged for Zhang Dabiao's face.
"I think you'll be the one going to hell."
Previously, he could injure the female ghost, but after more than ten consecutive attacks, he hadn't managed to harm her even once. How could Zhang Dabiao accept this? He handed the Zancinxin nail to his left hand, then sliced his right palm, instantly filling it with blood. He then transferred the Zancinxin nail to his right hand.
The Zancinxin nail, which was originally as black as ink with a faint crimson hue, turned completely red after being stained with blood. A surge of scorching Yang energy emanated from his right hand holding the Zancinxin nail.
"Interesting. Using your own Yang blood to activate a magical artifact. How long can you sustain this?" the female ghost sneered at Zhang Dabiao.
"You don't need to worry about how long I can sustain it. I'll definitely crush you into the ground." Before Zhang Dabiao finished speaking, he had already transformed into a gray blur and charged towards the female ghost.
This time, the female ghost did not try to catch the Zancinxin nail with her bare hands. Instead, she carefully dodged Zhang Dabiao's attacks, occasionally provoking him with words.
"You're too slow, you can't hit me."
"Just a little bit more, if you were a tiny bit faster, it would be enough."
"..."
Zhang Dabiao did not respond. Instead, he focused on increasing his attack speed. However, he was always a fraction slower than the female ghost. Even with the enhancement of the Tianqiao Seal, he was still just a hair short.
Seeing this, I knew it wouldn't do. The female ghost had time to toy with us, but Zhang Dabiao and I did not. Firstly, the Xuanyang Zhenqi within me was not enough to sustain the Liuyao Yangxuan formation for long. Secondly, Zhang Dabiao could not possibly sustain activating a magical artifact with his blood for an extended period.
If we continued to wear each other down, we would be the ones at a disadvantage.
The female ghost was likely planning the same. She intended to use her speed to exhaust me and Zhang Dabiao. Once we were both depleted of strength, we would become fish on a chopping block, with her as the butcher.
Furthermore, the Xuanyang Zhenqi within me had already been depleted by more than half in this short time. It could only last for about half an hour more. If Zhang Dabiao couldn't defeat her within that time, we would have to wait for death.
But I didn't want to die. I still had my father to save and debts to repay. Now, I could only make a desperate move, integrating the Tiantui Seal into the formation to see if it could suppress the female ghost.
This was the only method I could think of. Perhaps directly attacking the female ghost with the Tiantui Seal would be more effective, but it would require me to form hand seals, which would prevent me from controlling the Liuyao Yangxuan formation. Without the restraint of the Liuyao Yangxuan formation, she could break free in an instant, putting us in an even more passive situation.
Tiantui Seal—
Silently chanting the incantation, the power of the Tiantui Seal joined the Liuyao Yangxuan formation. The Liuyao Yangxuan formation, which was originally fiery red, instantly turned golden. A Yang energy comparable to the scorching sun radiated outwards from the formation.
"Kid, what did you do?"
The first to react was naturally the female ghost within the formation. Previously, the formation had only limited her abilities, but with the addition of the Tiantui Seal, her body began to smoke, her ghost energy was rapidly consumed by the Liuyao Yangxuan formation, and even her ghost form appeared unstable.
One moment she would revert to her original appearance, the next she would present her ghost form, the two alternating like the changing faces in a Peking opera. After dodging Zhang Dabiao's attack once more, she began to ferociously attack the luminous barrier of the Liuyao Yangxuan formation.
As she attacked, I felt my mind tremble, and the Xuanyang Zhenqi within me flowed out like water from an opened faucet. If she continued to attack the barrier, I would be the first to collapse.
"Brother Zhang, don't let her attack the barrier, subdue her quickly."
Zhang Dabiao remained silent. He bent his body, then sprang forward like a coiled spring towards the female ghost.
"Get out of my way." The female ghost casually waved her hand, and a terrifying wave of ghost energy formed a giant black scorpion, its two massive pincers opening wide and lunging towards Zhang Dabiao.
Zhang Dabiao leaped into the air, dodging the scorpion's pincers, and simultaneously plunged the Zancinxin nail towards the black scorpion's head.
Due to the black scorpion's massive size, its reaction speed was naturally slower. Just as I thought Zhang Dabiao was about to succeed, I saw a club-shaped black shadow rise vertically from behind the black scorpion.
"Brother Zhang, watch out for the tail..."
Hearing my exclamation, Zhang Dabiao forcefully halted his movement. He pushed off the ground and shifted half a meter to the side. At that moment, the scorpion's stinger plunged into the spot where Zhang Dabiao had been.
"Despicable..." Zhang Dabiao cursed, flicking his left sleeve. Another Zancinxin nail appeared in his hand, and he then flung it, embedding it into the black scorpion's head.
Though this happened quickly, it all transpired in the span of two breaths. The Zancinxin nail pierced the back of the black scorpion's head and then dissolved into ghost energy, dissipating within the formation.
"Damn it!"
The female ghost hadn't expected that the black scorpion she summoned with ghost energy would be dealt with by Zhang Dabiao in just two rounds. Moreover, with the addition of the Tiantui Seal to the Liuyao Yangxuan formation, her power was further compressed.
"You are determined to seek death, so I shall fulfill your wish."
The female ghost slowly retracted her ghost form and then let out a howl to the sky. A visible wave of sound radiated outwards from her, but this wave did not attack me and Zhang Dabiao. Instead, it rushed towards the north.
My mind raced, and I realized with a sense of dread that she was preparing to call for reinforcements.
"Brother Zhang, let's finish this quickly, she's calling for backup."